Snowstorm

A blizzard that had pummeled northeastern Colorado on Friday moved across Nebraska and into southwestern Iowa on Saturday, causing dozens of accidents on highways as visibility was reduced to near-zero in some places. The storm, the first major snowfall this winter for Colorado and the Midwest, dropped about 20 inches of snow in some parts of Nebraska, said Matt Masek, a National Weather Service meteorologist in North Platte, Neb. By Saturday afternoon, the storm, with wind gusts up to 30 mph, had moved into southwestern Iowa, where snow totals ranged from 4 to 11 inches, said Roger Vachalek, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Des Moines.

For as much as two-thirds of the United States, this has, indeed, been the winter of our discontent. Even as a harsh storm was dropping as much as 10 inches of snow on parts of the Midwest, especially Kansas, that same system was moving east and was expected to make the evening commute and Wednesday's morning drives to work in the Northeast miserable experiences. Nor could the Northeast take comfort that the worst was over. After a snowstorm earlier this week, a third storm is gathering and is expected to hit at the end of the weekend and into the early part of Monday, proving that three of a kind is only good when playing poker.

Louis Mitchell Jr. saw a brilliant opportunity when thousands of Georgia motorists abandoned their cars on snow-paralyzed roads this week, authorities say. Police say he used a tow truck he had stolen earlier in January to haul away four cars left on roads -- and without anyone's permission. Online jail records show the Atlanta Police Department also arrested Mitchell on suspicion of driving with a suspended or revoked license, using a fake license plate, damaging property and three instances of forgery.

Louis Mitchell Jr. saw a brilliant opportunity when thousands of Georgia motorists abandoned their cars on snow-paralyzed roads this week, authorities say. Police say he used a tow truck he had stolen earlier in January to haul away four cars left on roads -- and without anyone's permission. Online jail records show the Atlanta Police Department also arrested Mitchell on suspicion of driving with a suspended or revoked license, using a fake license plate, damaging property and three instances of forgery.

Nine scientists missing for four days in the Piedmontese Alps were found dead today, buried under mounds of snow from an avalanche, authorities said. The bodies were recovered at dawn in a remote valley after a search by 70 rescuers and three helicopters. The victims were part of a group of 12 speleologists, or scientists who study caves, caught in a snowstorm Sunday after exploring caves in the Alps. Three were rescued by helicopter Monday.

Tom Copeland of United States International University and Tim Coffey of host Portland State were declared champions of the Portland Rippling River Invitational golf tournament Saturday when a snowstorm ended play after 27 holes at Rippling River Resort in Welches, Ore. Copeland and Coffey, both at one-over-par 107, finished one stroke ahead of Chuck DeSilva of the University of Portland. University of Portland won the team competition with a combined score of 442.

A skull found near the Klamath River on New Year's Eve has been identified as that of a Happy Camp woman who disappeared last year, Siskiyou County sheriff's officials said. A forensic dentist confirmed that the remains found were those of Teri Renee Edwards Poe, 49, who disappeared in a heavy snowstorm on Jan. 27, 2004. Authorities had believed Poe was probably dead after her car was found days later in 8 to 9 feet of murky water in the middle of the icy Klamath River.

A woman being held as an illegal immigrant spent four days forgotten in a holding cell at a Fayetteville courthouse with no food, water or toilet, authorities and the woman said. Adriana Torres-Flores, 38, had appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to a charge of selling pirated CDs, but a judge ordered her held because she is in the country illegally, Sheriff Tim Helder said. She was forgotten in the courthouse cell, and because of a snowstorm few staff members were around to hear her cries and pounding.

Snowstorms swept the eastern Mediterranean again Sunday, blanketing Jerusalem and other cities in the region's harshest winter in more than 40 years. At least 15 people died in floods and avalanches. Israel Radio said the Sea of Galilee, a major source of drinking and irrigation water for the Jewish state, was rising a half-inch an hour as the season's third snowstorm hit.

ATLANTA - As Georgia nursed a hangover from a freak winter storm, Gov. Nathan Deal took responsibility Thursday for poor preparation that led to massive gridlock in and around Atlanta, forcing drivers to sleep in their cars overnight or abandon the vehicles along slick, snow-covered roads. Most schools and offices across the area remained closed because of icy roads. Uniformed state and local police escorted motorists back to hundreds of abandoned vehicles along the interstate system.

SOMEWHERE ON THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE -- It is perhaps fitting that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, whose role after Hurricane Sandy garnered him much praise, would be inaugurated to his second term during a surprisingly ferocious snowstorm that is expected to dump a foot of snow on some areas. It is also fitting that the snow, which coated highways with a thick and unmanageable layer of icy slush, caused extremely nasty traffic jams in New Jersey: Christie has faced a slew of traffic jokes in the last week, including a duet about traffic jams by his hero Bruce Springsteen and comedian Jimmy Fallon.

NEW YORK - A storm that was blamed for at least 11 deaths in the eastern half of the country moved out to sea Friday, but the icy winds and record-low temperatures left in its wake were prolonging the misery of cities digging out from snowdrifts nearly 2 feet deep. "Mother Nature has moved on somewhat," said Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York, where at least three people died after the storm blew in Thursday night. "That doesn't mean we're out of the woods yet in terms of dangerous weather.

NEW YORK -- The groundhog may not make his prediction until February, but Karen Gregorski thinks she already knows how the coming winter is going to turn out: very, very snowy. Gregorski, 66, was walking carefully Tuesday down a midtown Manhattan street, her fur jacket coated with snow. Nearby, doormen shoveled sidewalks, and an apartment superintendent, with a hint of weariness, sprinkled salt on some slippery spots. This was the fourth snow shower in 10 days, and it's not even technically winter yet. “I'm originally from Pennsylvania, and we always went by the Farmer's Almanac,” Gregorski said.

Snow levels dropped across the Southland on Friday, transforming some the higher elevations into a winter wonderland. Weather officials on Friday said they've had reports of snow as low as 3,800 feet and are expecting the snow level to drop even lower. "We've had reports of 3 to 4 inches at elevations above 5,000 feet and we've also had a report of snow as low as 3,800 feet as early as 7:30 a.m. this morning," said meteorologist Scott Sukup...

It may be spring, but the United States on Thursday found parts of its midsection caught in the grip of record snow and ice while in part of California wildfires were spreading woe. The upper Midwest, particularly Minnesota and Wisconsin, were struggling to cope with late-season snow a good six weeks past the start of spring. “A historic May snowstorm will slowly wind down [Thursday] afternoon across western Wisconsin, with light snow continuing into [Thursday night],” the National Weather Service predicted . “Friday into Friday night, precipitation will spread back west across the area, starting as snow Friday morning but transitioning to rain in the afternoon and staying that way into Saturday.

Two amazing things about Green Bay's 21-0 victory in a snowstorm Sunday was that Packer quarterback Lynn Dickey, despite the blizzard, completed 22 of 36 passes for 299 yards, and that 19,856 showed up for the game. Twelve inches of snow fell before the game and another four fell during the game. The temperature was about 30 degrees with winds gusting to 40 miles per hour. The wind chill factor was close to zero.

The worst spring snowstorm on record blanketed much of Wisconsin today, creating hazardous conditions for stunned motorists, closing schools, and downing power wires and trees. The storm, packing heavy snow, gusty winds and sleet, came two days after temperatures peaked in the high 70s throughout much of the state. It caught municipal officials by surprise; most winter road equipment had been placed in storage.

A spring storm that hit Colorado on Tuesday was not as strong as predicted but still powerful enough to bring highway-clogging snowfall to the Denver area, cause the cancellation of hundreds of flights and deliver blizzard conditions in some regions. Wyoming took the brunt of the snowstorm as the cold front dawdled over that state rather than barrel through Colorado. More than a foot of snow fell in from Laramie to Lander, more than expected. Originally, the National Weather Service was predicting a sizable snow accumulation in Denver, but predictions were revised downward in the area from more than 12 inches to about half that.

DENVER -- A late-season snow storm swept across Colorado's front range and began making its way onto the eastern plains and Midwest on Saturday. The storm, which was causing havoc on the roadways, dropped about 8 to 12 inches of snow in Denver, Kyle Fredin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Boulder, said in a telephone interview. The snow led to multiple accidents and roadway closures. In one area, south of Fort Collins, between 20 and 50 vehicles had crashed or gone off the roadway, according to the Colorado State Patrol.